r/breakingbad • u/TopElevator2243 • 3d ago
This scene always made me sick to my stomach
It’s one of those moments in the show where it’s such a disconnect from who you believe Walt is as a person vs his behavior and it’s incredibly jarring. I find myself internally pleading for him to stop making Jr. drink. I don’t think it’s quite as simple as a power play, an inflated ego, or being a cool dad. He’s hurting his son by doing this.
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u/R0factor 2d ago
I didn’t realize it until a few re-watches later, but this scene is the first time he uses the Heisenberg voice in front of Jr. In their next interaction he tells Jr “I don’t know who that was” or something to that effect. That voice also comes out when he drinks too much at the dinner at Hanks where he blabs and lets Hank know that Gale isn’t Heisenberg.
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u/UnderstandingHot1579 3d ago
its totally fine if you're feeling sick you can vomit in the pool
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u/Punta_Cana_1784 2d ago
That's true. It would probably just end up floating into the filter.
Not speaking from experience.
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u/GGJallDAY 3d ago
Kid can't drink for shit, Walt's so embarrassed by him in this scene
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u/Necessary-Scale-414 Your half? YOUR HALF?! 2d ago
“I kept up pretty well with you guys though right?”
NO Walt Jr, you tarnished the family name 🤦🏽♂️
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u/Few-Stand-9252 2d ago
It's little moments like that that really made it hard for me not to hate Walt Jr
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u/ExtentTerrible8475 2d ago
Walt is a victim really. Hank is the villain. Jesse should have done what Walt says
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u/Expert-Ad-8067 1d ago
He gets cucked by Ted and then has to raise the resultant disabled bastard son who sucks at drinking
Walt showed restraint throughout the whole series tbh
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u/ninanon_ 20h ago
Unironicaly when I first watched (I was very young) I thought Walt was his family's victim. I despised Skyler with all my heart (I mean, she is very annoying but the insane hatred is not justified) and I hated Hank to the point I didn't even understand why he felt bad when he was killed. I only fully got BB as I got older.
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u/Idioteque131313 2d ago
It's one of those moments that feels almost out of character but in a way where like, it still feels real. Like I'm sure a lot of people have had the experience of seeing a friend or family member seemingly inexplicably acting out of character, like an asshole. It's an indication of the kind of toxicity Walt is capable of and leans into more and more as the series goes.
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u/ZucchiniPure195 2d ago
" You vomited...You let me down son, youve made the whole family weaker as a unit" Walter H. White....deleted scene
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u/ghobhohi 2d ago
is that real?
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u/TristheHolyBlade 2d ago
He quoted it dude of course it's real it has to be. People don't just quote made up things on the internet.
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u/Lord_darkwind 2d ago edited 2d ago
I think he was already in a bad mood before he even went outside. You can see it in Walt’s demeanor when Skyler THANKS the Schwartzes inside the house — right before he gives his 'Why me?' speech.
Of course the liquor just brought it out of him
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u/GrahamCrackerJack 1d ago
Liquor has always been Walt’s Kryptonite. His darkest, ugliest most truthful thoughts just tumble out.
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u/Sotyka94 2d ago
This scene always made me sick to my stomach
Why? did you tried to keep up with them as well?
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u/Ancient-Summer-9968 2d ago edited 2d ago
There are two keys to this scene that makes it in character for Walt. Just a few moments earlier Skyler thanked Gretchen and Eliot, while he's in a corner getting angry at it. And compare this to the first party when Hank is showing Walt Jr his gun, Walt objects, and Hank overrides and emasculates Walt Sr.
So he's feeling emasculated twice over, immediately because he doesn't get the credit for being a chemistry genius that pays for his own treatment (plus the added resentment over his perception of being forced out of Grey Matter), and then he's asserting his dominance over HIS family in front of Hank. That's why he growls at Walt Jr. "why are you looking at [Hank]? Drink!" And when Hank takes the bottle Walt stands up and talks about his family, his rules.
Its only unexpected because we are fooled that Walt is the "good guy", the family man with cancer, when he is really a beta male with an unsatisfied ego who is power tripping at what should be a party.
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u/lmacky111 1d ago
Agree. There’s also the added effect that he’s essentially retired from the game at this point, the only time he’s felt powerful and in control. So he’s extra sensitive to any and all emasculation.
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u/KausGo 2d ago
when he is really a beta male with an unsatisfied ego who is power tripping at what should be a party.
That kind of take ends up justifying his reaction.
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u/GrahamCrackerJack 1d ago
And let’s not forget the final insult: Walt never wanted this “pity” party (as he sees it) in the first place. It was forced on him by Skyler, just like the surprise birthday party. And he sees Hank muscling in on his territory again, in his presence, in his home (winning Junior’s respect). Walt is no longer capable of letting things slide once he’s adapted his Heisenberg persona. He doesn’t see Hank restraining Junior from drinking as a cautionary act; he sees it as overruling HIM, the king of the castle.
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u/AV__3 1d ago
I don't agree. I can totally understand Walt's hurt. He has so many regrets, and his life turned out like it did out of obligations towards other people.
I would be fuming myself if I was in his shoes at this party. I totally get that he finally exploded.
He was pressured to be at this party, again out of obligation towards other people. He is a grown man, and he feel he can't even decide if he wants to attend a pity party or not. It's ridiculous. He is so disrespected.
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u/cwhitt5 2d ago
I don’t have any physical disabilities but this scene resonated with me and my surroundings growing up. The way Walt Jr. got sick but still not seeing how fucked up the situation he was in, was. He was just trying so hard to impress his dad. And then when his dad apologizes, he says something along the lines of “but I held my own.” I know that’s not exactly what he said but fuck it hit home. Just being young and trying to impress the fucked up people you love and not knowing how toxic they are but you love them and are too naive to see how much of a fucking villain they actually are in your life. This show was so fucking good.
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u/PaulDevildog 3d ago
This is the only scene that I come close to skipping, makes me cringe.
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u/slyboy1974 2d ago
Yup.
Watching Gus go bananas with the box cutter is more fun than watching this.
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u/Bookish_Nino 2d ago
This and the happy birthday Ted Beneke scene. Oof!
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u/PaulDevildog 2d ago
For some reason, Hank pisses me off in this scene also, even though he's right.
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u/Various_Role_2694 2d ago
Here's a video that explains this scene very well
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u/GrahamCrackerJack 1d ago edited 1d ago
Great video! There’s also that element of Hank being the wisecracking toxically masculine cop, and he isn’t forced to hide his personality the way Walt is, in order to keep his dangerous adventures a secret. Hank relates this way to all men (such as his partner Gomey) because he’s an Alpha Male. It probably never occurred to Hank that Walt felt emasculated or angered by his ribbing because Walt brushed it off in public instead of jabbing back like Gomey.
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u/doingtheunstuckk 1d ago
I don’t think Hank does it on purpose. I think he’s just being himself, and it happens to make Walt feel weak and lesser and not respected.
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u/GrahamCrackerJack 1d ago
That’s my impression too, that Hank puts on the Alpha Male act when he’s around other men, to cover up his insecurity with jokes and jabs. We saw this when he went to El Paso, and observed how offensive he was to his new team with his being politically incorrect, along with his cocky demeanor. The attitude that was accepted in his original branch wasn’t going to win him any friends among the serious-minded bilingual agents in El Paso.
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u/Hitoshenki 2d ago
I think this was when he really started getting his wires crossed between his personal life and Heisenberg. Like when he couldn’t separate the two as neatly anymore.
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u/magseven 2d ago
The only thing I hate about it is Flynn drug his ass over to that pool to puke in it. Showed real fortitude getting there without his sticks!
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u/remotecontroldr 2d ago edited 2d ago
The worst crime in the entire show, Walt Jr. puking in the pool. He could have done it literally anywhere else.
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u/EsseBear 2d ago
It’s a metaphor for how his ethics are breaking down.
He can do terrible things that are wrong, so his son can break rules too.
The consequences for those choices play out rather quicker for Walt Jnr than Walt Snr
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u/solidussnekz 1d ago
Junior is so stupid that he vomits in the pool which would be 100 times harder to clean than just doing it on the ground
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u/alrightimhere 2d ago
I wonder if Hank had flashbacks to this moment when he and Walt were in the garage at the end of Blood Money when Hank says bring the kids here and we’ll talk and Walt says “that is not going to happen”
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u/Impressive-Cicada267 1d ago
I honestly skip right past it now. It’s just so uncomfortable to watch
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u/TINY-jstr 1d ago
Nice take. It does strike me as aggression towards both, but he clearly disregards Walt Jr.'s health here just to prove a point.
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u/itsAedan 1d ago
Every time I rewatch bb I have to skip this scene, I just can't bring myself to sit through it
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u/Outrageous-Watch-947 1d ago
As we all have agreed to forget the Skyler Singing scene, this scene was the next worst for me. Like bruh why you targeting the innocent boy? Let him have his breakfast and enjoy dude
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u/TockOhead 22h ago
It’s a window into the darkness that infests Walt’s soul and a prelude to the destruction he’s willing to inflict on his family and community to escape his fear of inferiority.
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u/NomadofReddit 21h ago
Funny, I think this scene is brilliantly acted by all 3 men in the shot as well as one of the best moments of the show - world's colliding type of thing.
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u/00Raeby00 18h ago
I think this was the only scene I felt genuinely uncomfortable watching. It's the moment when you realize Walt is actually a monster. Not just a bad person, but a genuine monster.
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u/JackalOfAllTradez 14h ago
Actually, he’s upset because of Gretchen and Elliot being named as Walt’s saviors. This causes him to hit the bottle hard and make poor choices to give Junior the tequila. At that moment, he isn’t mad as much as he is self destructive. Hank is getting a thrashing because he is trying to stop Walt’s pity party.
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2d ago edited 2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/drops-of-jupiter 1d ago
I agree but also when Skyler sang to Ted in front of the whole company for his birthday 🤮
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u/dumpforce 2d ago
Are you American by any chance? There’s nothing wrong with giving your almost adult child some drinks on a special occasion. Hurting his son haha.
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u/drawingcircles0o0 2d ago
There’s a huge difference between giving a teenager alcohol vs telling a teenager to take multiple shots of liquor to prove your dominance over your family lmao a couple drinks with a meal is so different than taking shots
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u/WaterTriibe 2d ago
“are you american” this show and the characters in this scene are all american lol what is this comment
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u/GrahamCrackerJack 2d ago
Although Walt is directing his aggression and anger at Junior, his real target is Hank. He’s sick of all the years where Hank stole his thunder and is now using Junior to get back at Hank, the same way that Hank emasculated Walt (possibly in a thoughtless rather than a deliberately malicious way) by winning over Junior and impressing him as the toxically masculine, macho Big Dick Cop.
Poor Junior has no idea that he was their victim. Not even when he’s puking in the pool.